Texas dominates AP list of top preps in Central

INDIANAPOLIS 
In a few years, many of the players on the inaugural Associated Press list of the 25 best high school football players across the Midwest and Southwest may bear a strong resemblance to the starting lineup for the Texas Longhorns.

The perennial college powerhouse has an eyebrow-raising 10 commitments from that list.

One of the biggest stars in the group is running back Malcolm Brown, who has chosen Texas over Alabama. Brown rushed for 2,170 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior at Cibolo Steele.

Brown's high school coach, Mike Jinks, said Brown eventually should play in the NFL.

"Texas don't even know what they got," the coach said. "It goes way beyond football."

Jinks said Brown, at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. He said Brown chose Texas because Austin is just 40 miles from home and the Longhorns have committed to the running game.

The list was compiled by AP reporters who looked at top prospects in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the Lone Star state dominated the list. And the Longhorns look like they are ready to reap the rewards.

Oklahoma is the only school other than Texas to have more than one commitment from the region.

Nebraska might have nabbed the quarterback to help make its return to the national spotlight last. Bubba Starling of Gardner, Kan. is one of two quarterbacks chosen for the regional list. The other, Kiehl Frazier of Shiloh Christian in Springdale, Ark., has committed to Auburn.

Among the top undecided stars is receiver DaVaris Daniels of Vernon Hills, Ill. His father, Phillip Daniels, plays defensive end for the Washington Redskins.

The complete list of the 25 best players in the Central who will be part of the 2011 recruiting class: